Paper Mart offers wholesale pricing to all of our customers — whether you’re an independent Etsy, eBay, or Amazon seller or a small business owner — and even bigger savings to those who wish to purchase in higher volume. We are the ideal packaging partner for small and medium-sized businesses searching for a scalable solution that grows with them. The more you grow, the more you’ll save when you shop with Paper Mart.

As a savvy consumer, it’s important to ask yourself how free shipping has come to be so prevalent online, especially among business owners who need to include their packaging and shipping expenses in the cost of goods sold. Paper Mart has the lowest pricing in the nation on thousands of items, and we show you what it costs to have those well-priced items shipped to your destination of choice.

This is a conscious decision that delivers value to all of our customers, rather than building that expense into our product pricing. Providing value to our customers is our top priority, which means we’ll always clearly communicate what you’re paying for and why. When you shop with us, YOU decide where to spend your money.

Curious how our shipping policy works? Let’s dig a little deeper.

How does Paper Mart determine its shipping rates?

Paper Mart works hard to offer competitive shipping rates. To calculate shipping costs, our website displays results from our shipping carriers based on the distance to the destination, as well as the package’s dimensions and weight. For orders under five pounds, we offer Economy Shipping at a lower price than standard Ground. To make sure that you’re in the know before you complete your order, we always display your shipping charges before processing a transaction.

Your shipping price will reflect any additional fees that are included, though this is not the norm. For example, addresses classified as ‘rural’ may incur higher prices due to the difficulty in reaching the destination. Or, if a large order needs to be shipped in more packages than is standard, customers may see added fees. All of these variables result in a final shipping cost clearly displayed in your cart at checkout.

Why doesn’t Paper Mart offer everyday free shipping?

While free shipping may be the watchword of online marketplaces, those costs are often passed on to the customer in other ways. For example, many retailers incorporate shipping expenses into the prices of their products. Alternatively, some retailers may offer products at impressively low prices, only to attach outrageous shipping and handling fees at checkout — a strategy that banks on customers being invested enough to complete their orders instead of starting over elsewhere.

We hate to break it to you, but ’free’ shipping is never really free. Paper Mart prefers to be transparent about where your money is going, giving business owners the information they need to make informed decisions while helping hobbyists and homemakers keep the family budget under control.

Let’s say the price of a container you use regularly goes up, but the supplier offers a free shipping policy. This increase in price may not have anything to do with the item you want to purchase, but instead could be covering an increase in the cost of the supplier’s shipping rates. Because the product is tied to the free shipping model, the price of the product needs to cover the supplier’s shipping expenses. This scenario is less than ideal for a small business that wants to track overhead and margins, or the price-conscious individual on a budget.

The problem is further exacerbated if you work with a local packaging supplier. Customers across the nation benefit far more than you do from this policy, since their shipping expenses would be far greater than yours. Why make everyone share the expense? Displaying the shipping price separately allows you to more accurately calculate the cost of goods sold, and offers a much clearer picture of your supply chain.

On that note, let’s say you do happen to be located close to Paper Mart. Well, you’re in luck! We’re proud to offer free shipping for local deliveries in Southern California for orders over $300 using our own fleet of trucks. That’s right: if you’re local, you get the best pricing per item in the nation with free delivery. It doesn’t get much better than that!

What else does Paper Mart do to deliver value to businesses?

At Paper Mart, we strike a productive balance between quality products and honestly-priced shipping, even if it isn’t always free. We understand that running a business is hard — we’re at it everyday! — so we want to help you find savings wherever you can.

We know that bulk discounts on frequently ordered products can make or break a small business’s profit margin, so we work hard to offer savings wherever possible. Paper Mart’s volume discounts — on top of our low product pricing — can help business owners breathe a sigh of relief.

Here’s how it works: if you spend $300 in the same product category, your price will automatically drop by 15-20%. That discount only gets better the more you spend. If you plan to spend $2,000 on an order — and again if you spend $6,000 — we’ll send you a quote for what additional savings you can expect from us.

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"I needed a specific size of Kraft Paper Bags to use for wedding favors, and they had exactly what I needed. I was able to get a box of 1000 (WAY more than I needed) for only $20. The best part was that I ordered it online and it arrived only two days later! I was impressed by the fast shipping time and the no hassle purchase of what I needed."
- Julie K.